“It's a lie to think you're not good enough. It's a lie to think you're not worth anything.” - Nick Vujicic
Standing tall, "limb-less" amidst a big crowd, you would not miss this man. It was not because he looked different from most of the people in the audience. It was not because he came from another country or the fact that he was literally perched on top of the table. It was because of a beaming voice that addressed the crowd with so much vigor, passion and hope. Meet Nick Vujicic, the author of Life Without Limits and Unstoppable, giving a short talk earlier this day at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.
I consider myself an optimist. But my idea of optimism was put to shame when this man talked, addressing everyone in the crowd to "be yourself, because you are beautiful just the way you are."
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| Nick addressing the crowd, most of them from different PWD organizations and NGOs gathered by SM Cares. |
Some people might find this cliche but when you hear this from a man who has no arms and legs and yet, is thankful for everything that has happened over the past 30 years of his life, it becomes a testament that indeed, no one has the right to complain. Nick was able to surpass everything, despite his disability, because of his faith in God, his family and support groups and of course, the eternal hope in his being.
It is therefore, a lesson to me, at the very least that we should rise above our adversities and when we can't expect goodness or greatness from anyone, let it come from our own selves because as Nick said, you are your own miracle or you can be a miracle to someone else.
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| Nick's Meet & Greet Session. |
I am lucky enough to meet a lot of people in my job, especially kids, who are specially able and uniquely different from all of us. Why do I consider myself lucky? Because every time I face a big hurdle in my life, I remind myself that if they can overcome their challenges and difficulties, I most definitely can.
This past year, I have met five beautiful visually-impaired children who have shown me that despite any disability, life can still be enjoyed to the fullest. Gelo, Aleeia, Joshua, Jerome and Jerald are my beacon of hope and inspiration. They sing wonderfully, they read wonderful stories through the Braille system, they swim and participate in international competitions, they can do things most of us take for granted. They have even taken photographs despite their blindness and when asked why do they take photos when they can't even see them, they answer with glee -- "Because it makes us happy knowing that we can make our parents and our siblings happy because of the photographs we take."
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| Angelo David. My super bibo kid - full of life & energy. He's even on Facebook! Photo by John Chua. |
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| Five of the bravest kids I know. Photo my Myh Lapid. |
One simple thing -- to always be grateful for whatever it is you have (your life, your family, your job, your friends, everything) - despite challenges. Despite anything. Because after all, God would not give us anything that we could not surpass.
It is, after all, a wonderful life He has given and our way of saying thank you is by showing the world how we are living.
xx,
Corporate Junkie
P.S. Next read: Life Without Limits :) You can know more about Nick by visiting www.attitudeisaltitude.com.
